Holden driving in Australia Outback
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Images from an Australia Outback road trip

We love road trips. Most of the ones we've taken in the past have involved cruising America on old roads like Route 66 and the Lincoln Highway. But driving in the Australia Outback presents the ultimate road trip challenge. Towns and gas stations…
Maori Haka performer

Do the Haka

Normally we're not much for folk dance performances. But when we were in New Zealand the All Blacks rugby team had just won the  World Cup. Part of their pre-game warm up is to perform the haka, an indigenous Maori dance. After the championship…
Singapore skyline
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Rooms with a view

We've generally rented apartments with some hotels thrown in. A few of them have had incredible views of either city scenes or country landscapes. The picture above is the view from our flat of the Sky Tower in Auckland. This being New…

Having a cow in Australia’s bush country

Larissa was staring at a beautiful a tree frog; its tiny, bright green body with huge black eyes and cute little pods on its feet that were perfectly designed by nature to stick to any surface.  There was only one problem . . . those cute…
rtw plane ticket australia

Plane spotting heaven at Perth Airport

The shiny new Emirates 777-200LR was zooming down the runway right  towards us, its General Electric engines screaming to create 110,000  pounds of  take-off thrust. Along with dozens of other plane geeks we were leaning over the railing…

Wings over Lord of the Rings

When Peter Jackson chose New Zealand to film his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy it wasn't just because he's a Kiwi. The scenery is truly spectacular. It's the best of America's national parks all crammed into a relatively compact area. Picture…
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Digging a hole to China

When we were kids and dug around in our backyards our parents would ask if we were digging a hole to China, so we always assumed China was directly opposite our little patch of Earth. As we got older we finally realized that China and the…
New Zealand road trip Tuatapere sausage sign
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Video: The good, the bad and the lamb tongues — a taste of New Zealand

Now that we've recovered from our Vegemite taste test in Australia, we are ready to try some authentic New Zealand foods. The country is known around the word for its lamb so we decided to try a local delicacy we came across, peeled lamb tongue.…
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The world’s best gelato is in New Zealand?

Who would have thought that the world's best gelato was being made in Auckland, New Zealand? But the city, which was recently selected as the 3rd best city in the world to live, takes it in stride. The owner of Giapo's is Gianpaolo Grazioli,…

Free things to do in Sydney

We stood at the center of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on a breezy sunny day.  Down below us ferries cut through the turquoise water as they carried passengers to hidden coves shaded by palm trees. White sails of pleasure-craft swelled in…

We avoid getting deported from New Zealand

We were at the Brisbane, Australia airport checking in for our overseas flight to Auckland when the gate agent stopped us cold. “You can’t enter New Zealand on a one-way ticket so you can’t check in for this flight,” she said. This…
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Shocking video: Vegemite taste test

Vegemite, a yeast-based extract, is the official food of Australia. It is smeared on toast and crackers just like we would use jelly or butter. The dark brown substance looks a bit like Nutella but please don't let that fool you. It may look…
Victor Brent butcher Sydney
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Where Oprah had a beef

In 1998 Oprah Winfrey was famously sued by Texas cattlemen in a response to a comment she made on her show several years earlier. In response to the “mad cow” scare that was going on at the time Oprah had said, “I’ve eaten my last hamburger.”…
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Noodling around Sydney at night

From Larissa ~ Last night we went to the Night Noodle Market in beautiful Hyde Park in downtown Sydney.  This is an annual event that runs for ten nights during the Crave Sydney International Food Festival.  Over forty food…